Michigan iGaming revenue soars to record $301.4m in May 2025
Michigan’s online gambling industry continues to surge, setting yet another record in May. The state’s regulator, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) reported that commercial and tribal operators collectively generated $301.4m in gross receipts from iGaming – including both Michigan online casinos and internet sports betting.
That marks a 3.7% increase over April’s $290.7m and a striking 25.8% year-over-year jump from May 2024’s $239.5m. The state’s digital gaming sector is clearly on an impressive growth trajectory.
The increase in activity is another example of Michigan’s strength in the US online gambling market, which arises from the strength of the demand for online casino games and strong performance of sports betting spend.
Revenue continues to be dominated by online casinos
Michigan’s iGaming sector is operating at full throttle. Online casino games – slots, blackjack, poker, the works – are the clear heavyweight in the state’s online gambling market.
May 2025’s numbers speak for themselves: $251.5m in gross receipts for online casinos. That’s not just a bump from April’s $248.1m, but a serious 26.6% jump compared to May of last year. That kind of year-over-year growth is hard to ignore.
Even after factoring in promotional costs (because let’s face it, those bonuses aren’t free), adjusted gross receipts still hit $236.2m – a 32.1% spike from May 2024. The consumer appetite for online casino options isn’t just steady; it’s accelerating.
The reasons are simple and straightforward. These platforms provide easy access and an expansive catalog of games coupled with additional features like live dealer sessions and progressive jackpots. Slots are especially popular due to the simplicity of gameplay and desire of winning large amounts off a small wager.
Major operators such as BetMGM, FanDuel, and others, aren’t just riding the wave, they’re driving it – launching new formats, aggressive promotions, and slick mobile platforms to keep users engaged.
With 15 authorized commercial and tribal operators competing for business, the market’s dynamic has only intensified. The result? More innovation, more player choice and a rapidly expanding sector that’s setting the pace for online gambling growth in Michigan.
Online sports betting sees mixed performance
While iGaming may have taken the spotlight, let’s not overlook the impact of online sports betting – it generated nearly $50m in gross receipts for May, up 17.1% from April 2025. That’s substantial growth M-o-M.
Oddly enough, overall wagers actually dipped, with the handle falling 7.5% month-over-month (from $417.6m in April to $386.1m in May). Still, compared to May last year, that’s a 12% increase year-over-year so momentum is clearly holding strong.
Sports betting’s adjusted gross receipts showed $35.6m – a 26.7% year-over-year increase. Quite a jump when we consider that May is generally a quieter month for sports activity, with no NFL or ‘March Madness’ activity to help spur bets placed. Even with the seasonal dip, revenue continues to trend upwards.
Tax contributions bolsters state and local economies
Tribal operators pay 8.4% of their online sports betting tax revenue towards the state while commercial operators pay 70% of their tax towards the state and 30% towards the City of Detroit.
Meanwhile, of the total tax for online casinos, tribes must contribute 80% to the state whilst commercial operators donate 70%.
Michigan’s online gambling industry is delivering some seriously impressive returns right now. In May 2025 alone, commercial online casino operators poured $49.1m into the state’s coffers.
The tribal casinos aren’t missing out either. They kicked in $5.8m to their own tribal governments off the back of online casino revenue. Meanwhile online sports betting garnered a tax total of $2m: across tribal and commercial.
When you put online casino and internet sports betting tax revenue together, the total hit $51.1m for the month. That’s a major revenue stream by any standard.
This isn’t just money on paper. It’s funding real public needs such as: schools, infrastructure, community projects, the works. Michigan is clearly treating iGaming as a strategic asset: keeping regulations tight, ensuring consumer protection and still maximizing economic opportunity. It’s a pretty sharp play in today’s business landscape.
Regulatory oversight strengthens market integrity
The Michigan Gaming Control Board isn’t taking any chances with unlicensed gambling operators. In May 2025, the board issued cease-and-desist orders to five unauthorized online casinos; BoVegas Casino, BUSR, Cherry Gold Casino, Lucky Legends and Wager Attack Casino – after they tried targeting Michigan players without proper licensing.
The MGCB gave these companies a strict 14-day deadline to comply, sending a clear message that consumer protection and market integrity come first.
This enforcement isn’t a one-off. The board has been consistent, rolling out 11 similar orders in April and 10 more in March. It’s a steady campaign to keep unauthorized operators out of Michigan’s regulated market.
The state currently has 12 authorized sportsbook operators, and has handed out 15 licenses to acceptable casino operators to operate sports betting.
The MGCB also sets a very high bar for standards such as: strict age verification, full customer verification, having anti-money laundering policies, as well as having self-exclusion tools for responsible gaming.
These created standards serve in regulation but also provide trust in the consumer market and consistency in Michigan’s gaming landscape.
Competitive dynamics and operator performance
Michigan’s competitive marketplace for online gambling is still extremely tight, as BetMGM and FanDuel continue to battle each other essentially one-on-one for first position in market share.
In April, BetMGM held a very narrow lead of around a $300,000 margin in market share, however, May’s numbers show that FanDuel is quickly closing that gap.
BetMGM has partnered with Push Gaming and introduced some new games, both of which solidify its positioning, while FanDuel is still creating value as the most recognizable brand in sports (and still a growing presence in online casino).
Golden Nugget is holding steady and appears to have a May revenue distribution that mirrors its baseline performance, rather than a spike in revenue that is atypical in the previous month.
The one area that our market has going for it is a speed in which innovation comes to market: a proliferation of live dealer games, the recent introduction of crypto as a payment option, an expanding footprint for mobile use, with other new popular product offerings coming down the pike.
Together with Michigan’s existing and stable regulatory system and the propensity to grow, all of these early indicators are positive for a strong opportunity for growth.
Looking ahead: A bright future for Michigan’s gambling industry
While the online variety of gambling continues to grow, Detroit’s landbased casinos remain healthy.
In May 2025 the three commercial casinos from the city of Detroit earned gross revenue of $112.7m – from slots and table games – of which was a 3% increase compared to April 2025 and a 1.2% increase from the previous year. The land-based casinos also contributed $9.1m in tax revenue during May 2025.
Meanwhile retail sports betting made $1.3m in revenue and contributed a total of $48,431 in tax revenue which will go into the city’s and the state’s budget. One thing is for certain, online gambling in Michigan is not slowing!
In May 2025 the state recorded its second-highest iGaming revenue in the state’s history – and combined iGaming and sports betting set another high of $301.4m of total revenue. This was up 3.7% over Michigan’s iGaming revenue April 2025.
Many reasons contribute to the continuous growth with major upheaval occurring and competition, features, promotions, and regulation all playing a part in building consumer trust. The MGCB have put many illegal operators out of business helping build this consumer trust.
Projections for 2025 are promising with BetMGM leading the industry with an anticipated annual revenue of over $2.6bn. When we include solid revenue from physical betting like casinos and sports betting into this, Michigan’s gambling industry is thriving on all fronts.
